Third Quarter Quell
by Elliot Pole
Summary: The 75th annual Hunger Games is going to take place, and the returning champions are forced to take part, as well as another boy and girl from District 12.  And their opponents?  Vampires, werewolves, and mutants.  Let the reaping begin!
1. The President's Revenge

**Third Quarter Quell**

**Chapter One**

President Snow stood watching the finale of the 74th annual Hunger Games, where that criminal Seneca Crane allowed both champions from District 12 to win when they were the only people left standing. He grimaced as Katniss and Peeta held up their hands on the screen.

"They think they can defy me, do they? Well, I'll show them. Crater!"

A man with a long thin beard entered the room. "Yes, sir?"

"I want you to have the cryogenerated werewolves from the early twenty-first century brought to life. And get Maggie to blow the horn."

"The vampire horn?" Crater asked, shakingly.

"No, the umpire horn to call forth the great baseball players of history. Yes, the vampire horn."

"Where shall they be summoned?"

"In the Wagdazle Lab."

"Right, sir," Crater said, saluting. Then he left the room.

The white-haired man smiled. "Let's see how you buffoons—you underdogs as Seneca Crane calls you deal with the paranormal lint he greatest Hunger Games event ever, the seventy fifth annual celebration."

President Snow entered the Wagdazle Lab have an hour later. The werewolves and vampires were all there.

"How many of you are Moroi or dhampirs?" President Snow asked the vampires.

"I am a Moroi," said a female vampire. "This is my best friend's ex, Dmitri. He was a Strigoi for a little while once. But he's back to normal. Well, as normal as a dhampir that was once a Strigoi can be."

"I would have preferred an actual Strigoi," President Snow said, lamentably. "But I know how hard it is to get them involved in this. They don't listen to the horn, and they might end up killing everyone that's here."

"A vampire kill a werewolf? Yeah, right," said one of the latter gang.

The president approached him. "And who might you be?"

"Sam Uley, the leader of the Quileute tribe."

"Consider yourself lucky that no Strigoi would answer the horn, young man. You will have enough chances to be killed by a vampire without one of that sort coming at you."

Sam Uley wanted to spit in the old man's face, but as he had just been unfrozen from being cryogenerated for, however long it had been, he decided against his first impulse.

President Snow approached the center. "I have gathered you all today to welcome you to the 75th annual Hunger Games. It will be your duty in this contest to fight to the death, and you will tackle anyone that gets in your way."

"You expect me to fight…Edward? You're crazy!" said one of the vampires.

"You will do as I command," President Snow said. "I summoned you forth with the vampire horn."

The vampire girl in question ran forth and struck him across the face. "You didn't summon us. Your secretary did."

"That's telling him, Bella!" said Alice.

President Snow's face was bleeding where Bella had slapped him, and one the vampires was rushing forward to bite him, but a strong vampire held him back. "No, Jasper. Control yourself."

Dmitri joined the strong vampire in holding Jasper back while the woman who blew the horn brought a bandage to cover President Snow's cheek.

"Thank you, Maggie," the old man said. "You're a doll."

She stepped away and he started speaking again as if nothing had happened. "Really, I do not care whether you kill each other or not. There are returning champions from last year's Hunger Games and I want them dead. It will be your job to see to it that is done. If they die, I will have the Hunger Games end early and the rest of you can go home without damage. Or any more damage, I should say."

"Why not just have us go to where they are and kill them there?" one of the werewolves asked.

"Because I want it to look honorable," President Snow said. "lf they are killed in the games, people won't think much of it. But if they are murdered in their beds, there will be mutiny."

"Are these champions vampires or werewolves?" someone asked.

"They are neither," said the President. "They are human."

"They'll be a piece of cake, then," said a short female vampire.

"And who are you, young lady?" President Snow asked.

"Name's Jane. And I like to see people squirm."

"Just like one of the Tributes from Districts 1, 2 and 4," the president said, mist in his eyes.

"Um, President Snow, isn't this supposed to be the year of the Third Quarter Quell?" Crater asked.

:"Why, I suppose it is," the old man said, stroking is beard. He had not forgptten but liked it when other people remembered things like this.

"Our vampire/werewolf pull is not enough.:"

"In that case, there is only one thing to do," President Snow said, a malicious smile on his face. "Bring out the mutants."


	2. Pairing Off Mutant and Vampire Style

**Third Quarter Quell**

**Chapter Two**

"Mutants? Emmett, did he say mutants?"

"He sure did, Rose."

"I don't like the sound of that."

"Hey, your name is Rose, too?" Lissa asked. "So is my personal dhampir. She's probably watching this scene now through my eyes."

"My full name is Rosalie, actually."

"Oh. Well, nice to meet you anyway."

On the werewolf side, Sam was holding a bereaved Emily. "It'll be okay, dear, it'll be okay."

"Uh, Sam?" Quil asked. "What are mutants?"

"The worst creatures you'll ever meet," Sam said. "They have powers the likes of which the vampires can only dream of."

"Hey!" Jasper said. "Our powers are pretty good."

Sam guffawed. "Your powers are meaningless to mutants. Sure, you will have the ability to do _something_, but you will be crushed quicker than you can say 'endocrine system'."

"Funny, wolf boy. I was not aware you knew how to spell 'endocrine system.'"

Sam seemed ready to tear Jasper's head off. Maggie came over and stood between them as they advanced toward each other. "Guys, no fighting. There will be plenty of time for that when you get in the arena."

"And when we do get there," Sam said, "I know which vampire I'm going to attack first."

'"We're supposed to take care of some humans," Alice said. "Then we'll be allowed to go free."

"You'll go free," Jacob corrected. "They'll just put us back in storage."

Renesmee flew to him. "I missed you, sweetheart. I forgot how wonderful your voice sounds."

"Renesmee, my darling." Jacob squeezed her after as if she contained every breath of life he ever released and only by clinging to her could he remain alive.

"I know which human I'm going to target first," Jasper said, giving Emily a look that Sam didn't like.

"You kill my mate and I'll kill yours," Sam said. "That is the code of you vampires, isn't it?"

"There are humans amongst you?" Maggie asked.

Embry spoke. "Yeah, my buddy Quil's girl, Claire, and Sam's—Emily—are humans. When they captured us and froze us, back in 2023, they captured them too. We did not bother to tell them that the girls were humans because they didn't ask."

"I'm not human," Leah said. "I'm a full-fledged werewolf, just like any of these guys."

"Who are you attached to, dearie?" Maggie asked.

"A-attached?" Leah stammered. She looked at Sam, but he shook his head. "I'm not attached to anyone."

"You have to have a partner. We're not going to bill you as being partnerless."

"We may have to do that for the mutants," President Snow offered. He had enjoyed watching the rivalry between the vampires and werewolves. "I think there are too many males to match the girls. But there should be an even number of boys and girls here."

"You heard the man. Pair off, everyone."

Jacob and Renesmee stepped forward, followed by Bella and Edward, Rosalie and Emmett, Alice and Jasper. Sam tagged with Emily, Quil with Embry. That left Leah, Embry, Lissa, and Dmitri with no partners.

"I say the werewolves pair up and the vampires go together," Maggie said.

"Wait, where's the little one?" President Snow asked. "Where's Jane?"

"I'm the extra," Jane said from behind him. He turned around. "I guess it would be silly for you to have a partner. But it is tradition, you know."

"If I have to pick a partner, I'll take a mutant," Jane said.

"That's settled then," President Snow said.

"No!" Leah shouted. "I may not have Sam or Jacob, but I am not taking Embry. He'll imprint on a mutant or something. I'll take the vampire."

Leah took Dmitri's hand and lead him away.

Lissa didn't know how she felt about her dhampir's ex being taken from her like that. Or even how she felt when Embry creeped over to her. But she took his hand anyway. She supposed that having a werewolf partner was all right if Adrian couldn't be here. As long as Embry didn't—whatever the werewolf girl had said—on her. The last thing she needed was another guy having the hots for her.

Jast as Lissa and Embry took their place at the end of line, Crater returned. "The mutants have arrived," he said.

In walked a whole troop—over twenty people. There was a blue guy and a green guy but most of them seemed to be normal colors. One just looked sickly and hopped like a toad. Sam seethed at the sight of them.

"Mutants," President Snow said, "welcome."

"You better have a very good mission for us, sir," said the only member of the mutants who was over thirty.

"I do indeed," said the president. "I am inviting you to a kill-for-all marathon. Whoever wins becomes a Peacekeeper."

"Kill? We're being asked to kill each other?" Kitty asked.

"No. You don't have to kill each _other_. You will be killing humans."

"I will not be a part of this," Scott said, heading for the door.

The metal doors shut with a clang. Wolverine ran at them and attempted to slash through with his claws, but to no avail.

"You don't have a choice," President Snow said, ruefully.

"I know one human I want to kill very badly right now," Wolverine said. He dashed at President Snow and slashed at him. But he never made contact. It was like slashing at air.

"Did you think I would really be physically present in a room full of mutants? And after the act that sweet vampire Bella made on my face, too. Not a chance."

"So you're going to force us to play in your tournament?" Wolverine growled.

"Yes. And now, will the ladies pair up? We want a boy-girl partnership thing going here as long as we can. It's tradition."

"I know who my partner will be," Kitty said, taking Lance's arm.

"Baby, you know you want me," Toad said to Wanda.

"I'm taking Cannonball," Wanda said, pulling Sam Guthrie forward and pushing Toad to the ground at the same time.

"I wish Gambit was here," Rogue said.

"How about going with me?" Sunspot asked.

"No thanks."

"Come on. It's just for a tournament thing."

"You'd be best with Amara."

"But I don't like Magma."

"I will take my sister," Kurt said. "I'm sure there's no rule against that. Is there, Mr. White Beard?"

The president growled. "You will address me as President Snow. And no, there is no rule against it. If you feel you are the best partner for your sister, be my guest."

"Okay, then." Kurt led Rogue over to the line.

"I'm taking this one," Jane said about Scott. She started to drag him forward.

"Hey, who do you think you are?" Jean asked.

"Your worst nightmare," Jane said. She closed her eyes and scrunched her face, as though in pain. And Jean leaned forward and bent down as if she really were in pain, while Jane's still seemed fake.

Scott shot a laser beam at Jane causing her to fly into the air and land on the ground in a cloud of dust.

"No one messes with my girl and gets away with it,"

Maggie came over. "Hey, no fighting! You'll get to do that later."

"I was just protecting my girlfriend, that's all," Scott said. He led Jean to the back of the line. Jane got up and glared at him, but she did not use her powers this time.

There was a group that came in with the mutants that were standing away from them. The green-skinned fellow was one of them.

"I'm taking Robin," said a blond girl from this group, grabbing the black-haired boy.

"No, I'm with Robin," Starfire said. She shot a green beam from her eyes at Kitten, who fell on the ground, landing on top of Toad.

"Hey, sugar. If you don't have a date, I'll go with you," Toad said.

Kitten started to say something nasty about how Toad was the most disgusting creature she had ever seen. But she stopped herself, blew him a kiss while she was still sitting on him and pulled him to his feet, saying, "Of course I'll go with you, sweetheart."

Blackfire looked at the ones in her group with disgust and went to the other group. "You. You will do," she said to Bobby.

"You don't even know me."

"I know that you're cute, and that's all I need to know."

Bobby blushed.

"I like a girl who hides under a cape," Spyke said to Raven. "Will you go with me?"

"I suppose. But the cape does _not _come off. Got it?"

Spyke nodded. He was happy to be with her.

"Green, that's a nice color," Amara said to Beast Boy.

"Well, the ladies like it, anyway."

"I sure do. Come on."

Jubilee turned to Wolfsbane. "I hear there's werewolves in that party over there. One has her eye on you."

The lupine member of the X-Men looked to where she was pointing. A Native-American girl was staring at him, though she managed to look away. She seemed to struggle with herself, shaking her head. She started to leave the line but then seemed to have a change of will.

"Go ahead, make a move," Jubilee said.

"I can't," Wolfsbane croaked. He hid behind her.

"Rayne, if you don't show some strength of will—"

"Jubilee, you have to pick me. The only girl left is that creepy little thing that tried to take Scott."

"I want to take Sunspot. He's so lonely, you know, since Rogue wouldn't have him."

"I need to look desirable," Wolfsbane said.

"Okay, fine, I'll take you," Jubilee said. "Who knew wolves were so chicken?" she whispered in his ear.

Now there were only three guys left, a reject, a robot, and a guy with claws.

"I'm taking you," Jane said to Logan.

"Oh no. I don't think so. I ride alone."

"Someone's gotta go with me."

"I volunteer!" Sunspot exclaimed. He was not attracted to her or anything, but he also had fears about being rejected, twice. And if he had a partner he could perhaps find a better one later. Like Rogue, who was hotter than any girl he had ever seen before.

Jane shook her head. "I'm taking the claw man." She dragged Wolverine over to the line.

"Thanks for making me look like a—"

"No need to use that word," Jane said, after clambering up his back and putting her hand on his mouth. "You're the best of the three remaining, and I'm taking you."

Sunspot turned to Cyborg. "I suppose you have to desire to become a girl."

"Not unless it feels better than being ignored."

"Come on, being ignored isn't as bad as being rejected. Twice."

"If you say so, pops."

"Well," President Snow said. "Everyone's partnered up except for two no-show boys. Sorry, fellers." He didn't sound sorry at all. "The rules will be simple. You will be allowed to kill anyone you desire, except your partner. That is not true of the partnerless boys. They can kill each other if they feel like it. But everyone else needs to refrain from harming their partner. This would not be a rule but last year's outcome forces me to it.

"Now, the Games will not begin for another twenty-eight days, so you may have another month of training. The returning champions and the poor unfortunate souls chosen from their district will not be training on these grounds until five days before the event commences. I expect you to be in tip-top shape.

"And remember, you will be allowed to go free as soon as Katniss and Peeta are dead. You are welcome to stay longer if you wish, but I expect that those of you who are against this tournament we are putting you through will want to leave as soon as the task is accomplished. If so, be sure that your first priority is to take care of them.

"I think I speak for the entire nation of Panem when I say, we want Katniss and Peeta dead."


	3. District 12 Tributes

**Third Quarter Quell**

**Chapter Three**

Katniss and Peeta were in the forest. "Did you get an invitation too?"

"Yes," he said.

She reread hers.

_Katniss Everdeen, you are personally INVITED to the 75th annual Hunger Games, the third Quarter Quell. You can choose not to attend, but your Peacekeeper privileges will be revoked._

"They can't revoke out Peacekeeper privileges, can they?"

"I wouldn't know," Peeta said, looking worried. "But I don't want to go through the Hunger Games again."

"Me either." They both looked out at the vast trees, with nature making her usual sounds. Chirruping and hooting and deer scuffling through the bushes.

Later, in the hut where the Peacekeepers lived in their own District when they weren't on duty in the Capitol, Katniss asked Haymitch the same question she had asked Peeta.

"I think they can," Haymitch said. "I told you before, they are really angry with you. I heard that Senecra Crane was assassinated. And I'm certainly President Snow was behind it."

"President Snow wouldn't actually kill someone personally, would he?" Peeta asked.

"No, but he'd pay someone to do it. _And _ensure it's not traced back to him."

"I don't want to do it," Katniss said.

"It will be a lot of pressure, going through that again," Peeta said.

"You have no choice! Don't you guys understand? They want to punish you, and they think that this is a way to accomplish that. You have to show them that you are not to be trifled with."

"But all we're showing them by accepting is that we are willing to give into their demands," Katniss said. "And we aren't."

:"Win again, and you'll show them they can't mess with you," Haymitch said.

"I don't want to win again. I don't want to _play _again."

"Why not? You've one once. You can win again."

"Yeah, Kat. Just twenty-two Tributes to take out and we'll be all set."

"Um, about that," Haymitch said. "You won't be facing only twenty-two Tributes."

"Why not?" Katniss asked.

"Because this is the year of the Third Quarter Quell, the 75th Hunger Games. I participated in the 50th a quarter of a century ago. They always take four from each district during a quarter quell. Two boys, two girls. That adds up to forty-eight Tributes."

"Wait, are you saying that there's going to be another reaping for District 12, even if we join?"

"There's going to a reaping for District 12 whether you join or not. But if you don't join, there will be two girls and two boys chosen."

Katniss' face turned puce. The thought of Prim having twice as much chance of being thrust into the Hunger Games made her sick.

"Okay, we're doing it, but only because I need to protect my sister."

"There's no way your sister will be a Tribute," Haymitch said. "Unless…"

"Unless what?"

"Unless the reapinjg is rigged." Then, seeing the appalled expression of Katniss' face, Haymitch said, "Well, you did make the president angry. He might want to make you angry too."

"Not like I was going to kill my lover," Katniss said, laying her head on Peeta's shoulder. He patted her hair. She had to make it seem like she liked him to him, even though in reality she wasn't in love with him…she had wanted to defy the Hunger Games makers by killing him. She needed one less person to die. She did like him as a friend, but the love thing was just a show for TV, and so that their fans would believe that love is what drove her to spare Peeta's life.

If Peeta knew, he might be furious with her. So she had to keep up the façade, for both him and their fans.

"Well, I can avoid attending the reaping, at any rate, since I'm already participating," Katniss said. "But I will raise hell if my sister is a Tribute."

"You do that," Haymitch said. "But not where they'd punish you. Having to participate in the Games again is punishment enough."

Suddenly Katniss jumped up. "I haven't even practiced shooting a bow in a year! I might be out of mmy game!"

She ran from the hut before anyone could stop her. She grabbed her bow and quiverful of twenty-eight arrows before dashing off into the forest.

District 12's young people from ages twelve through eighteen trudged in troop fashion to the center of the pavilion, where they were forced to have their fingerprints taken and placed on thin strips of paper in a jar. The Magnefier Transmitter—a gray machine that looked like an ink-jet printer with a stapler and microscope glued on. This machine would turn the fingerprints into the names of the children since it had fingerprint recognition of every child in District 12.

"This year," said the woman in pink on stage, Effie Taffet. "is the year of the Third Quarter Quell, meaning that there will be two boy and two girl Tributes from each district. Katniss Everedeen and Peeta Mellark have kindly agreed to fill in for two of the Tributes. As you all know, they won last year's competition. So that just leaves two more Tributes to be selected."

She paused and let that all sink in. Then she nodded at one of the men on the security personnel, who said, "And now, let the reaping begin!"

"Now to find out who this year's female Tribute from District 12 will be," Effie said. She reached into the container with the names, shuffled them around, and pulled out a thin strip of paper. Then she removed the black marker covering the name.

"Oh goodness me," she said, from shock. "I think I've seen this name before."

Peeta was glad Katniss had not come to see this. She would be raging because there could only be one girl there whose name Effie had seen before.

"Primrose Everdeen, identify yourself."

Of course, everyone knew what Prim looked like, because it was her name drawn the year before when Katniss had volunteered.

Primrose went up toward the stage shakily. She fainted just as she was about to march up the steps.

There was one boy who looked more than mildly upset by this. Peeta thought it was wrong because he loved Katniss and any wrong done to her was a wrong done to him. But this other guy seemed to take a more personal interst in Primrose. As if the possibility of her dying was enough to make him stab himself in the heart.

"Now for the boys," said Effie. She reached far into the mass of slips with the names of each District 12 boy on it and finally pulled one out.

She pulled out a slip of paper and removed the black strip again, just as she had before.

"Gale Hawthrone!" Effie called.

Peeta gasped. It was the boy who had been looking at Prim in that way, who stepped forward.

The security personnel ensured that Gale would not be leaving. Gale didn't seem to want to leave, because he was up there with Prim.

"May the odds be ever in your favor," Effie said. The same thing she had said to Peeta and Katniss the year before. And now,, will the returning champions, Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark please approach the platform?"

Peeta went up slowly, to by time before they realized that Katniss was not there.

"Katniss Everdeen!" Effie called, once she had Peeta up on stage. "Where are you?"

Everyone looked about trying to find her. But she wasn't there.

Effie directed the security personnel to go in search of her. "No one is leaving until Katniss gets up the stage," she said to the crowd at large, which made many people upset. Gale and Prim looked at each other. Peeta's suspicions were confirmed. They were lovers, or as much as a thirteen-year-old and a seventeen-year-old could be lovers.

He just hoped that Effie wouldn't yell too much about Katniss' manners when his own girlfriend showed up.


	4. The Procession

**Third Quarter Quell**

**Chapter Four: The Procession**

"What do you mean you want me to dress up as a baker's wife?" one of the girls was shouting at her stylist.

Katniss walked over. "You ought to show more respect for Dierdre. She knows what she's doing."

"But baker's wives are fat!"

"She can make fat girls look hot."

"I have a very decent weight, thank you very much."

"Your diet must be almost neglible," Katniss said.

"You don't want to know what I eat," hissed the other girl.

"Spotted dick?"

The girl growled and lunged at Katniss.

"You can save that for when you're in the arena," said Dierdre, pulling the girl back.

As Katniss turned to leave, the other girl said, "Remember the name Bella Swan, because it will be your downfall."

Katniss looked back at her. She was sure she could take the girl. She didn't look any tougher than Clove, at any rate.

She passed a room with an open door where a girl was being dressed up as a queen, with a train and crown and everything. The odd thing is that the girl didn't seem to really be sitting in her chair. Katniss couldn't quite figure it out.

"Queen Katherine is an identity I can get used to," the girl said to her stylist.

In another room, she saw a girl being dressed up as what they called an "Indian" in the textbooks. Though if the pictures were to be believed, this girl probably was a descendant from a tribe of living Indians.

Katniss waved at her.

"No need to do that," the girl said. "This isn't a friendly competition."

"That's no reason to not be nice to each other before the battle begins."

"Most of the people are going to be after the few. Then it'll all be over."

"I doubt they'll allow it to end until thre's only one left standing," Katniss said. "That's what they have always done in the past."

"This isn't like past games," said the other. "This is a quell."

"I know that. But I still wish you all the best luck in the world."

Katniss went on.

So many people she was meeting for the first time today would be dead within a few days. The competition would go on as long as it would, but the longest Games was the First Quarter Quell, which had lasted three weeks. And this was another quarter quell…it could last a while. But some of these people would surely be gone the first day. Katniss could only hope that she herself wouldn't be one of them.

There was a really small girl being dressed in Goth clothes. She was smaller than Prim, even.

In an instant, Katniss caught a glimpse into the small girl's eyes.. She felt a surge of pain rush through her. She doubled onto her back, leaning against the wall. She had often imagined what it would be like to have a knife thrust into her, but this was worse. It was like being put on a waffle iron and forced to bend down as the top of the appliance slammed down on your neck. Only four-hundred times as hurtful.

It subsided a bit after a few minutes and Katniss got up.

She wondered what had caused it. Maybe it was fear coming on, about being thrust into the Hunger Games again.

She suddenly had a need to see Prim. She ran from room to room, calling her sister's name. Many of the rooms whose door handles she rattled were locked, though one that wasn't revealted a girl with blond hair and whose neck was exposed, as she wore only a toga

"Nice outfit," Katniss said.

"Were you looking for someone?"

"My sister. She's in the competition too."

"My sisters have been dead for a long, long time," the blond girl said, quietly.

"I'm sorry to hear that."

"I have adoptive sisters, though. My parents are good at picking up strays."

"That's…nice of them."

"My adoptive sisters are really swell. One I pretended to hate for a while as she was coming into the family. I'm the one who made her a permanent member of our family, though. She didn't have any other choice but to endure me, and so our parents let me perform the initiation ceremony."

"Your family had an initation ceremony for your adoptees?"

"Yeah. Had to, didn't they? Doesn't every family require initiation for adopted kids?"

"I wouldn't know. My mother's not good enough to take care of her own kids, let alone ones she would choose to adopt on one of her drunken days."

"I'm Rosalie Hale, by the way" the blond girl said.

"Katniss Everdeen."

They shook hands.

"If you care about your sister as much as I care about my adoptive ones, I'm sure we'll be great friends."

Katniss nodded and went on.

Prim was completely covered up. You could only see her eyes. "What is this?" Katniss demanded of Cinna, who was both her stylist and Prim's.

"You don't want the audience getting any ideas. Besides, if you're the Girl on Fire, your sisters can be the Girl of Ice."

"Um…"

"She will be carrying this dagger," Cinna indicated. "And at the appropriate moment she will raise it and ice will shoot up to the ceiling. Then she will remove her shawl and everyone will see her face."

"I guess I can approve of that, but when I see her in that outfit, it just makes me want to burn whatever the culture was that thought it was appropriate."

"The Middle East was always cruel to its women. They even had an instrument that only men were permitted to look upon. If a woman ever saw it, she was instantly killed."

"A dagger?" Katniss asked wryly.

"No, a musical instrument."

"What kind of sick culture are we talking about then?"

"That's what I ask myself every time I am forced to thank of them," Cinna said.

"Then why dress Prim up like them?"

"Because it will shock the audience when she turns out to be the weilder of the Blade of Frozen Matter."

"Is there something about that knife that you're not telling me?"

"You will find out when the time is right."

"As long as it saves Prim's life, I don't care if I ever find out."

"That's the spirit. And you're next for being suited up."

Cinna had Katniss put on the garments of a Viking, bone helmet and all.

"Couldn't we go with the same style from last year?"

"Sponsors like novelty. So we give them novelty."

"How are you going to pass me off as the Girl on Fire in this?"

"Easily enough. The boat float you'll enter in will have a flamethrower. But they won't go up unless you are holding Peeta's hand in the air."

"Yeah, I know the drill."

"Good."

At eight p.m., all of the Tributes were hidden behing a curtain in a row. Katniss and Peeta were number thirteen, right behind Prim and Gale. Prim looked back at her sister with those eyes which were the only parts of her that wasn't hidden behind cloth.

Katniss waved at her sister in a way to indicatet that she'd do just fine, Katniss believed in her, after all.

"Here it goes," Peeta said.

"The precession," said Katniss.'

"Our second run."

"Second chance to die."

"I won't betray you this time."

"We stick together, us and Prim and Gale."

"Or your sister."

The procession began, and the first chariot carrying the girl with blond hair went forward. Beside her was a boy with huge biceps.

The second chariot went through, then the third and fourth.

Soon Prim was at the front, and the look she gav e Katniss was a really frightened one.

But the cart she was in shot forward and she had to face the front.

Just as Katniss and Peeta shot out, Prim in the cart ahead held up the knife Cinna had given her. It was short, but instantly a huge block of ice rose up to the ceiling. The audience gasped. Then Prim threw off her headrest and people could see that she had pigtails. There were hoots and cheers galore.

Katniss became afraid that the Viking boat float would smash into the cart Prim and Gala were in, but the ice vanished and the cart moved on.

Peeta was reaching for Katniss' hand for some reason. Now she remembered they were supposed to hold their hands up, clasped together. They did so, and flames shot up behind them.

"THE GIRL ON FIRE!"

There were many screams of delight, and Katniss and Peeta went into place alongside Prim and Gale.

"Good going, sis," Katniss whispered over to her sister, who was smiling.

"I did great, didn't I?'

"Yeah."

Katniss' eyes were now intent on the next pair to enter, and she didn't hear any more of her sister's babbling. This couple was the girl who had compained about being a baker's wife. Now she was grinning as she pretended to put a plastic cherry tart into an oven and her marble-skinned husband had a rolling win, which he brandished as though it were a sword.

"Bella and Edward," Peeta muttered.

"You know them?"

"They're on every poster for the Third Quarter Quell."

"I hadn't noticed."

"You haven't looked at the posters then."

"I have better things to do than lookk at posters."

"Like what?"

"Like ensure that me and my sister stay alive."

"I don't hear the word 'boyfriend' in that litany."

"You too," Katniss said, punching his shoulder. "So,, see? I'm responsible for four people."

"Whose the fourth?"

"Gale of course."

"Oh." Peeta looked worried.

"He was my friend before you and I faced the Hunger Games last year. And he took care of my sister while I was here."

Peeta appeared to want to ask her to let Gale take care of Prim now, but thought better of it.

Now the girl who had been dressed as a queen, with a cape and scepter and everything, rode forth with her partner, who was dressed as a jester and not a king, as Katniss had previously thought he'd be. He had dark hair and bowed obsequiously to the queen-girl.

Katniss still couldn't figure out what was strange about the way the girl was sitting, but she knew there was something…

"She's a hot ticker," Peeta said.

Katniss punched him in the arm.

"What?"

"a minute ago, you were all over me, and now you're all over her."

"Well, she is dressed like a queen, and you look like a…"

""Viking. Yeah. Go on and stare at Queen Katherine."

"Katherine? Is that her name?"

"That's what she said when I walked by her dressing room."

Peeta was silent. Katniss was going to ask him what he was thinking when she felt the pain again that she had borne before. She turned to see who had entered th procession but she couldn't. She had to bend down.

"Katniss, you okay?"

"Does it look like I am?"

"We should halt it—"

"No," Katniss said firmly. Peeta could not make her look weak in front of all the sponsors. It would mean the end of their chances of victory.

She didn't stop hurting for a few minutes.

"You sure you're all right?" Peeta asked, when she raised herself.

She nodded and turned to see who else had come. There were a few new pairs in line, but the one she was certain had caused the pain was the small girl all decked in black.

The procession went on, more or less normally, but Katniss kept glancing over at the small girl. Somehow, she thought, that girl was a threat of the sort she had never encountered before. She wondered if she were about to meet someone worse than Clove.


	5. The Interveiws

**Third Quarter Quell**

**Chapter Five: The Interview**

Haymitch stopped Katniss in the hall. "There's something you ought to know."

"That you've been drinking?" Katniss asked, wafting the air with her hand.

"Whether I have or haven't is none of your business. What is your business is that besides you, Peeta, and the other District 12 Tributes, all of the others are vampires, werewolves, or mutants."

"Now I know you're intoxicated. Coming up with something like that, I ask you."

"It's true!"

"Vampires exist in what reality?"

"Every reality. Vampires aren't made up creatures. And they're dangerous."

"I'm sure you just caught a glimpse of one of the procession outfits and it made you think something crazy was going on."

There had, in fact, been a girl dressed as a the procession. But that was just for show.

"Katniss, listen—you are in dire danger, and so is your sister. Don't you care about her?"

"Of course I care about her," Katniss said, coldly, after a pause. "But it's not like you can get us out of here."

"No, but I want you to be on your guard."

"I'll be on my guard when you stop consuming so much alcohol."

It was the day of the interview. Katniss was at the back of a very long line. The interviews would run pretty much all day. Sure, each interviewee was only allotted three minutes, but with forty-eight people that and a half hours plus commercial. Okay, an entire evening, if not an entire day.

An announcer called the host's name, "Ceasar Flickerman!"

This year Ceasar had his hair dyed yellow. Katniss didn't much care for the look—not to mention that he wore a bright-orange suit. Yuck.

"This year in the Hunger Games we have some very special contestants," Caesar said. "Vampires, werewolves, mutants…and last year's returning champions. Not to mention a couple of new contestants from District 12. And another surprise—people are being paired off this year. This means that there is a couple bonding going on. And this year's quell pulled out an extra need so that we would have forty=eight contestants celebrating this three-quarters of a century of the Hunger Games!"

The crowd went wild, roaring with delight.

"And now, our very first new contestant, the one you've seen on a multitude of posters…give it up for Edward Cullen!"

A boy with marble skin and blazing blue eyes stepped forward from the line. Caesar raised his hand, and they took their seats.

"I take it you are a ampire."

"How'd you know?" Edward asked.

"Neveer seen skin so marble."

"That's what my wife said, whemn we first met," the boy said, grinning.

"Your wife will come out in a bit. We need to see you together. Though in our day and age, people don't usually get married at eighteen."

"I'm seventeen, and Bella is nineteen. But we vampires never age, you know."

"Oh yes. That's one of the perks of being a vampire. Though may I tell you a secret?"

"Sure," Edward said.

Caesar leaned in cloase to his ear, but said loudly and clearly, rather than a whisper, "I have looked like this for four decades myself."

Edward blinked in surprise. Of course, _he _had probably been around for centuries, Katniss thought. But Caesar looked to be in his late twenties. Not at like the sixty-plus he must be now.

The audience knew this was the case. So they didn't gasp or anything. Caesar had been around forever, it seemed. He certainly had interviewed more than half of the Hunger Games. Nothing unusual about that.

Now Caesar turned to other matters.

"You vampires all have powers, right? What's yours, Edward?"

"I have the ability to read minds," Edward said.

"Really cool. Wish I had that power. I would know why my ex-wife filed a divorce."

The audience laughed.

"So, is there anything else besides the ability to read minds that you can do?"

"Well, I move super fast. I suppose combining those together, I'll manage to do something at this year's Hunger Games."

"I hope so. We never had vampires on the show before, but it sounds like it will be interesting."

"You and your partner Bella are the couple most of our audience are most eager to see. Should we bring her out?"

Edward gave his assent. An usher brought in the large sofa for two and Edward stood up. And then she came out. Bella. The one Katniss regarded with loathing. If the Capitol had thought of doing this last year, they would have had Glimmer and what's-his-name from District 1 as their star couple. But the previous year the point was to keep the people from each individual district separate. Katniss and Peeta had defied them, and now they were thrown back in the Hunger Games.

"So, Bella, you are a vampire?"

"Do my red eyes not make this obvious?" Bella asked.

"I thought you're red eyes made you more gorgeous than any girl we've ever had on the Hunger Games."

Bella grinned goofily. Katniss wanted to smack that smile off her face. Just wait until she got in the arena. As soon as she got hold of a bow and arrow, she would take care of that Bella girl for sure.

"Watch it, Caesar, or I might get jealous," Edward said.

"Now, the audience is dying to know what your power is, Bella."

"I can shield the ones I love. And am unaffected by other powers."

"Really? Then you probably have the best set-up going of anyone here. Mutants, vampires, and werewolves will have a difficult time stopping you."

"One thing we may find impossible to resist," Edward said, "is killing as many werewolves as we come across. And I'm sure they want to do us in, as well."

The bell sounded.

"Well, we're out of time, but I wish you both the best of luck. With a wife as valuable as this, it would be a shame to lose her. Protect her with your will."

"I shall," said Edward, before pulling Bella away after him.

"Next we have, Jacob and Renesmee!"

A boy with husky shoulders and a small, petite girl took their place out of the line.

"So Jacob, what are you?"

"What do you think I am?" Jacob asked, baring his teeth.

"Not a werewolf, I hope?"

"Ah, but I am one."

"He is," the girl next to him said, reassuringly.

"Could you transform right now? Or would our audience be at risk?"

"Only of seeing me naked," Jacob said.

"I'll take your word for it, then," said Caesar, ignoring the whistles of the females in the audience. "A rumor reached my ears that you were in love with this girl's mother first. Is that true?"

"It's as true as the sun rises in the morning. But Bella chose Edward, and here I am."

Caesar turned to Renesmee. "Does it bother you that you were his second choice?"

"Well, I wasn't born yet at the time," Renesmee said, "so why would it bother me? You can't know someone before they were born. Obviously Jacob was waiting for me, but since I wasn't around yet he fell on the closest thing he could—which was my mother."

"That's a positive perspective," said Caesar. "But here's another thing. What are you going to do when facing your mothere in the competition?"

"I hope not to face her," said Renesmee. "She does have a shield ability. She's a toughie."

"But you and Jacob arre wily, are you not?"

"I don't know about wily," Jacob said. "We just want to do our best. But with a love as potent as ours, there's no way we can go wrong." "

The bell sounded, and it was time to usher Jacob and Renemsee away.

Caesar did not introduce the next pair, who had huge, protuberant white eyes with no irises, but asked them their names.

"I'm Starfire, and this is my partner, Robin."

"What are you guys? Vampire, werewolf, or mutant?"

"Actually, we're titans," Robin said.

"That sounds scarier than any of the other three," Caesar said.

"It is," said Robin.

"But we'll wint his thing," Starfire said.

"I'm sure you will," said the talk show host. "With a name like yours, I'd expect you to win sponsors without having to worry about anything else."

"Oh, we don't need sponsors," Starfire said. "As Robin put it, we're titans."

The girl who had been dressed regally stepped forward, along with a boy with dark hair who wore a black shirt under a tan vest.

"Katherine and Lance, everybody!"

There were cheers from the crowd.

"You two are the only ones that the Capitol disclosed foreknowledge of as being mutants," Caesar said. "Do you know why that is?"

"Because we're the ones everyone else really has to worry about," said the girl.

"Yeah, we're invincible," said the boy.

"What are your powers, then?"

"What do you think, Kitty? Should we show them?"

"Most definitely," said the girl.

Suddenly Katniss felt the earth under her shaking. She looked up at the screen, and everything was shaking in the room there, too. And the boy lhad a look of deep concentration on his face.

After half a minute, the shaking ceased, and Katniss uprighted herself.

"Wow! Caesar said. I'm sure nothing can top that!"

"Wanna bet?" Kitty sunk in her chair. She went _right through it_. Then she got up, rushed at the boy, and his chair, and passed straight through them, as if she were a ghost.

"What a power!"

"It's called phasing," Kitty said, blushing. She resumed her seat.

"How can anyone defeat you?" Caesar asked her. "You can phase through anything.""

"See? Told ya we were undefeatable."

The bell sounded. "Well, our time is up, but I'm sure I speak for all of us when I say, we want you two to be the champions of this year's Hunger Games!"

He bent to kiss Kitty's hand, which Katniss could only perceive because he had done it to her the previous year. He was rather revolting, that man. She hopped that Kitty had made his lips passed through her without touching. His disgruntled face seemed to indicate that. But when the next pair came up, a boy with blue skin and a girl with mostly brown hair but the front arch very white.

"Kurt Wager and Anne Marie!"

"I'm guessing you're mutants," Caesar said. "Or at least the blue boy, here. Since none of the werewolves and vampires we've interviewed so far were blue-skinned. Though _you _could be a werewolf, my dear," Caesar said, grinning at Rogue. "Your hair looks the part."

"Hey, watch it. I'm not a wolf, though I do bite."

"She's a bit etchy," Kurt said.

"I would be myself, if I were facing so many werewolves and vampires in head to head combat."

"Oh, she can handle them easily," Kurt said. "You're looking at real power, here." He slapped the girl on the back.

"That's wonderful to say about your girlfriend, but until we see what she can do, we won't know…"

"Wait, Rogue isn't my—"

"We're brother and sister!"

"Oh," Caesar said. "That makes it more intruighing. Why did you choose to fight together rather than find other people to pair with?"

"We'd rather not disclose that information," the girl said.

"The people we would choose to be with have other partners," Kurt said. "Or aren't here," he added, looking at his sister.

"That's too bad. But I'm sure you wia team worth sponsoring. _I _would certainly sponsor you, if I were allowed to. Blue skin, and people who choose family over love. It is really sweet."

"Thank you, Mr. Flickerman."

Caesar now turned to the girl.

"Are you vampire, or mutant, Anna Marie?" He didn't ask her if she was a werewolf, for he was certain she wasn't, after her earlier reaction.

"Please, call me Rogue."

"Rogue, then. Are you vampire or mutant?"

"I could be werewolf, couldn't I?"

"Are you one?" asked Caesar.

"Technically, I can be all of the above."

"Interesting," he said, gazing over her. "Could you make that a little clearer for our audience so that they can understand how your ability works?"

"You knew I was a mutant before I came on the show, didn't you?" Rogue folded her arms.

Caesar shrugged. "I thought it was polite to ask."

"Well guess what? It wasn't.

"There goes the bell," Caesar said. "Good luck, you two. Can't wait to see your powers."

Just a little ways up the line were the small girl who caused Katniss to wine in pain when she looked at her, and a man much older than any of the other contestants. He wore an orange suit and had metal claws extended from his hands.

During the interview this girl had with Caesar, the girl looked directly at the screen, almost seeming to pierce through to look at Katniss. And a pain in her chest forced her down to her knees.

"Are you all right, Katniss?" Peeta asked.

"Not at all," she said.

"What can I do to help?"

"Make the girl get off the stage."

"Jane? She's just irritating that middle-aged guy. I think she's his daughter. At least that's what Caesar is saying."

"I want her gone…"

"She will be, in a moment Katniss."

The bell sounded. A moment later, Peta pulled Katniss to her feet. Her heart wasn't hurting so much anymore. She stood up and pretended to be fine, watching the pair who were being interviewed now, though she didn't hear a word they said.

Then it was her turn. She would be going first, alone. Peeta would come on stage afterward. And her sister—he beloved sister—who was not behind her in line, but hidden away, would follow.

"And now for our returning female champion, Katniss Everdeen!"

Katniss went up the stage with a fierce glint in her eye.

"Last year you volunteered for the Hugner Games to protect your sister," Caesar said. "Does it bother you that your sister is participating this year, and you must too?"

"I will say that it does bother me," Katniss said. "I suppose I'll just have to find a weakness of vampires to protect her this time."

She was surprised by how casual she could make that sound.

"But you,as the Girl of Fire, will protect her."

"I will."

"I wonder…do you see all of District 12's tributes as working together, or will you only be working with Peeta, like last year?"

"We all work together," Katniss said, fiercely. "It is our duty to do so."

"'Duty'?"

"It's time to show that District 12 is united," Katniss said, looking point-blank at the camera. "And that is what we shall do."

"Vibrant spirit from the Girl on Fire. You gotta love it."

The audience cheered.

"Now, let's bring out Peeta Mellark!"

More clapping, as the other victor of the 74th annual Huunger Games appeared.

"You survived the last Hunger Games together through a newly added rule, and when the rule was retracted, you showed that if they had to have a victor, they must take both of you. Do you think you are being asked to enter again because of that?"

"It is a possibility," Peeta said. "But we survived this thing once. It can work again, right?"

"Very likely so. Especially since the Capitol has paired everyone off from the beginning."

Prim came out after Katniss and Peeta were led away. Katniss wished she could be there, but all she could do was watch.

"Primro, or the Forst Princess, I should say. That trick with the knife rocked."

"Thank you," said Prim.

"Are you ready to go up against vampires, werewolves, and mutants?"

"Not really," Prim said, in a quiet voice.

"But you'll have your sister to protect you. And her friend, who helped you get through the time you were here. Right?"

"I suppose…"

"Should we bring him out?"

The audience clapped and Gale appeared. He took a seat and put a protective have arm around Prim's shoulders.

"I see you are attached to her."

"She's as precious as if she were one of my own sisters," said Gale.

"Is she? How do you feel about Katniss being with Peeta?"

"It bothered me at first, but if she wants him, then he's for her." Katniss was sure that that was what Haymitch coached Gale to say.

"Do you think you can handle people with powers?" Caesar asked.

"What powers could possibly match that of brotherly love?" Gale asked, grinning down at Prim. Katniss' heart leapt out to him.

"Well, we can't wait to see you in action."

The bell sounded, and the last interview had ended. A few minutes later, Prim was in Katniss' arms, and Katniss hugged her sister as if it would be the last time they would ever see each other, hoping that it wouldn't be, even with allt he formidable foes they would be asked to face.


End file.
